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UP FRONT/GUEST EDITORIAL
The Invasion
of the Home Video Games
By louis Boasberg
Most op erato r and di tributor loo k upo n ho m
vid eo gam es a demon s, evil spirit s, gho ts, go blin -a ll
conjured up b y bl ack mag ic and wit hcraft fo rth ol
purpose of puttin g th m out of bu sin s . But , if yo u will
allow m e to borrow fro m F.D .R., th pl ain truth i , " All
we hav e to fea r i fea r its If."
Th er
ha b n mu h ryin g, criti ci m, and
lam enting throu gho ut th e indu stry ove r th e inva io n o f
home vid eo ga mes, but thi s writ er, for o ne, thin ks th at
all thi s worry and ag it ation is base d on gro undl e s f ar .
No m att er how m any hom e et m anufacturers put
on th e mark et, I do not think thi s aff ts o in-o p rat d
vid eo ga mes on e bit. And no m att r how m any ad th y
run on TV statin g th at ho me ets take th e pi a
of
arca d e ga me , thi ju t i n' t tru ! It is lik e say ing th at
home mo vi s, mo vie o n TV , abl e, et . w ill kill and
tak e th e pi a
of th fre h, n w , x itin g mov i th at
appea r in th th ea ter v ry few w k .
I well rem mber Ia t umm r. It wa at I as t ix o r
seve n w e ks b for w e co uld g tin to e " E. T." and
th e n onl y aft er a 45 minute wa it. And on ly a f w we k
ago w e passe d th at r showin g " Th Verdi t" and
" Toot sie," and th lin in fro nt o f th ese th ea ter w r
more th an a blo ck lon g. W wo nd r how lo ng it will
tak e u to e " Th Return o f th Jed i" and " Raid er of
th e Lo st Ark #2" aft er th ey ar rei ase d .
Wh at do all o f thi have to d o with vid o ga m ?
It mea n s th at no ho m se t in xi t nc
an beg in to
comp t e with th e app ea l and ex itin g hall ng o f a
}o u t , a Po le Po it io n, Pop y , Fro nt Lin , Bab y Pa -
Man, Tim e Pilo t, Q - b rt , Sup r Pa -M an, St ar Trek, and
oth er new and xcitin g vid eo ga m
o n th e mark t
now or comin g in th e futur . Th r j ust i n' t any w ay
8
w , ho t-
today '
, o ne way or
PlAY METER. May 1 . 1983